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MSJ backs Maduro

...as Venezuelan unrest continues

By
Multimedia Desk

Story Created:
Feb 25, 2014 at 12:20 PM ECT

Story Updated:
Feb 25, 2014 at 1:01 PM ECT

The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) today issued a statement detailing the party's position regarding events in neighbouring Venezuela, with MSJ leader David Abdulah expressing support for President Nicolas Maduro. The following is the full statement -

In recent times Venezuela has been plagued by violent eruptions which have been severely destabilising for this South American nation. These events are being initiated and/or capitalised on by the opposition forces and, in particular the far right, in Venezuela to advance their own narrow interests and undermine the democratically elected leadership of President Nicolás Maduro Moros. The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) firmly condemns these inflammatory actions of the right-wing opposition forces in Venezuela and declares our most profound solidarity with the people of Venezuela, their leader President Maduro and the Bolivarian Revolution. We applaud the Government for its demonstration of restraint in the face of the destabilisation strategy and endorse the calls by President Maduro for peace to prevail over violence and democracy over an attempt to bring about a coup d’etat.

While this may be the largest offensive which President Maduro has had to face since assuming the Presidency, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela – PSUV) has consistently had to deal with opposition attacks in different forms. We would all recall the coup of April 2002 which sought to remove then President Hugo Chavez Frías, which coup was defeated by the intervention of the masses of Venezuelan people. The events we are witnessing today, like those of 2002 are being driven by the opposition who are seeking to remove a democratically elected government whose policies are directed to improving the lives of the working people and poor who for many decades did not benefit from the wealth of this oil producing country. These policies contrast strongly with the interests of these opposition forces and for this reason the opposition has been relentless in their efforts to remove, firstly President Chavez and now President Maduro. With President Chavez, the will of the majority of the Venezuelan population was triumphant and the opposition found itself defeated. Similarly, the ordinary citizens have been and will continue to place their support overwhelmingly behind President Maduro, and the opposition will find itself defeated once more, as happened in last November’s local government elections.

Amidst the violent scenes presently underway in Venezuela it is neither the government nor the opposition that is paying the highest price – but it is the citizens of the country who are suffering the most. We call for an immediate end to this opposition driven violence so that peace can be restored and President Maduro and his government can continue with the vision of the Bolivarian Revolution, bringing equity and social justice to the people of Venezuela.